Scarred for life by a movie

She held her husband by the ear and menacingly whispered "it does not matter if you come home or not... but your pay packet has to..." This was the scene which tickled my wife’s fancy and made us stroll into the Savoy 2 on the night of the elections when everyone else was lying low indoors just in case curfew was imposed. It also meant that we were the only people in the entire theatre. We laughed at this unique experience thinking how cowardly the others were. Not for teeny weeny moment did we suspect that maybe the theatre was empty because people were actually keeping away from it.
Not that we were expecting fine art and performances worthy of Oscars.
But we were certainly hoping that we would have some good laughs like we do when we watch the antics of H.E Chaminda Puswedilla. After all the movie "No Marks, ko marks" was starring Wijeya Nandasiri an excellent comedian and he was depicting the life of a politician. Quite similar to Puswedilla. Or so I thought. But what we experienced was absolutely pathetic. It seems that the only effort that has been put into the production has been to string together something in the fastest and cheapest manner possible. I intentionally refrained from calling it a movie as it would be an insult to movies to do so.
I never knew that there could be so many dimensions of bad in something till I saw this monstrosity. Bad acting, bad casting, bad costuming, bad storyline, bad lighting, bad camerawork, bad editing, bad graphics... I could go on and on for hours.
And the worst part is a refrain from the movie where this guy says "sathutoooi" is etched into our minds like a bad itch which never seems to go away.
I also could not help but notice that one of the people I respect very much who is considered a legend within the industry has been the editor.
The only consolation is if this gentleman asks me what I thought of the movie I can say "it was an unforgettable experience" truthfully.

New discovery at the Gallery Cafe

The challenge of being at the top of your game is that it is extremely difficult to better yourself. This was the situation I used to experience with the Gallery Cafe when it came to desserts. For the past ten years or more my top three all time favourite desserts have been from the Gallery cafe. The top title definitely belonged to their chocolate nemesis. However their was a constant battle for second and third place between the passion fruit meringue cheese cake and the double chocolate cheese cake.
But lo and behold when one thought things were never ever going to change they just did with the introduction of the all new Mocha Hazelnut cheese cake.
To say it is "heavenly" is an understatement. But the flavour is absolutely perfect and the texture on the tongue divine. I have had this dessert twice so far and both times my experience has been awesome. My only grouse is that the slices seem thinner than usually "not so generous" portions they serve. But as one could say good things come in small packages. And good things happen to those who wait... a long, long time.

"Turn left at the model"

It was way too early in the morning. And I had just travelled an hour to get to an opening ceremony at the factory of one of my clients.
These were the words which were said to me in order to direct me to the function area in the large factory premises.
As I was sitting and waiting for the dignitaries to arrive it dawned on me even though the phrase “turn left at the model” was a simple grammatical mistake it also outlined very clearly how people perceive  females today. Especially the pretty faced females, who are hired for functions to greet people, bring awards on stage or just wear revealing outfits and be eye candy making a boring event that much more interesting.
In my line of work I have to attend far too many events than I would like. One of the things I find distasteful about attending these events is how the "models" are treated. Of course I am sure I belong to a very minute minority.
For instance I was at one function where there was a game being conducted where a ball
had to be thrown to a target through the legs of two females who were standing with their legs apart. How demeaning is this?
How many times have I cringed when I see all the males and sometimes the females as well leering and drooling over the girls wearing revealing outfits?
Another particular function comes to mind where the event organizer was told by the client contact that  one of the directors of the company is offering 200 dollars for one of the models for the night.
The sad thing is that to many these models are lifeless things like mannequins in a shop window. They don’t see them as living human beings with feelings thoughts dreams and desires. To me it seems a crime that some of these ladies were born pretty. Their looks have turned out to be a curse instead of a blessing as it lures them into a world in which you make money in the short term with very dim prospects for the short term.
But to me the biggest crime of all on that day was that the words "turn left at the model" was uttered by another female.

Slow traffic in fast food outlet:

So after many months after its opening I finally decided to step into Subway. It was a rainy Sunday night there were less than ten people at the counter. Yet I had to wait an excruciatingly long time to place my order. The main reason being the person in front of me was taking her own cool time to order.Asking this and that from the staff behind the counter and in the process delaying everyone else. I had read about these delays before online. But I thought people would have realized by now how to order properly.
Sadly that was not the case. I think what Subway should do is to place some kind of guest relations officer to welcome everyone and help them to figure out what to choose at the entrance and this problem would have reduced dramatically. Hopefully the thought will dawn on someone in their management team soon.
Fortunately for me I don't think that I will have to experience this pain for a long time as I don't plan to step in through those doors ever again.
Why you might ask?
Because I found the product average and I think the sandwiches offered at HTC and Deli France are much better, tastier and fresher. Also greater value for money I might add. But the biggest advantage of all is not having to wait till the annoying fat lady in front of you takes her own cool time to decide what she and her kid wants.

Happiness is…

...sometimes just being able to roll up your daughter’s shirt sleeves.
That’s what I discovered a few hours ago. When my thirteen year old who’s going on sixteen came to see if her old man thought if her outfit was cool? Of course I had to make a slight alteration and as she thrust her slender arms out for me to roll her sleeves up I thanked God for the close relationship I share with my two daughters. It is not a gift which every dad is blessed with. And I am grateful for it. Makes all the sacrifice and tough decisions I have to make absolutely worth it.

Words and Pictures - a slow yet good movie

"You ice cold bitch"he said
"You drunken art wrecking bastard" she answered
They glared into each others eyes for what seemed like an eternity but it was just a few seconds.And then they laughed and kissed and became one once more.
Thus ended one of the nicer movies I have seen in the past few weeks. 

Sadly with an uninspiring title like "words and pictures" it will be passed over by most. The only reason I reached for it was because I like Juliette Binoche and there was nothing else to buy that day at the video store.
Its a slow movie -but then I like slow movies - about an alcoholic English teacher and an arthritic art teacher who end up in a little village college. And their battle to see if words or pictures are better. Hence the title.
I must declare it is not the most intriguing plot I have ever come across. But some of the scenes are beautifully shot; it has one or two absolutely lovely songs and you also happen to learn some interesting trivia regarding the English language. Like that good bye is actually a shorten form for God Bless you and that so long comes from salaam. Oh and it has some interesting paintings too. And it inspired me tap out this post in less than 20 minutes flat immediately after watching the movie and on my phone at that. Which is something I rarely do. Not bad for a movie which seems so uninspiring wouldn't you say? Below is one of the songs which really caught my attention

21 Actual anologies used by high school students...

This is too good not to share... this is the link if the pic is not big enough to read. http://www.tickld.com/x/21-actual-analogies-used-by-high-school-students-in-english-essays-8-is-gold